Cory taught ‘moral clarity, humility’ – grandson

MANILA, Philippines — With divisiveness and acrimony characterizing Philippine politics, the late president Corazon Aquino teaches Filipinos to exercise moral clarity and humility, her grandson said.

On Aquino’s 16th death anniversary, The STAR asked Kiko Aquino Dee about the lessons that could be drawn from the life of the nation’s 11th president amid today’s politically fraught times.

“Our grandmother clearly stood firm on what she believed was right,” Dee, the executive director of Ninoy and Cory Foundation, said in a phone interview.

“She’s not bragging that her position was the only thing right. She provided moral clarity and humility,” he added.

Aquino’s clan opted to commemorate her death anniversary privately, according to Dee.

The late democracy icon catapulted to power in 1986, three years after her husband, Ninoy, was shot at the tarmac of Manila International Airport.

She led a four-day peaceful uprising as allegations of cheating mounted in that year’s snap elections, which saw the opposition rallying behind Aquino to defeat the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.

In the dark days of the dictatorship, Aquino shone for standing firm, despite the threats she faced at the time.

“She held her ground,” Dee reflected. “It was a dangerous time to tell the truth and yet, she stood on her principles – it’s a great risk to her life.”

Even when Aquino was rattled by a series of coup attempts throughout her six-year reign, the former chief executive never lost sight of what mattered the most.

“She remained clear about her belief in our democracy, and that’s where I get my inspiration,” Dee said.

Aquino’s presidency paved the way for the 1987 Constitution, the document currently at the center of institutional squabbles as they debate the legality of the Articles of Impeachment against Vice President Sara Duterte.

When asked whether that squabble’s casualty – the break-up of the UniTeam of the Marcoses and the Dutertes – improved Aquino’s public image, Dee said he doesn’t know, but he is curious.

In 2010, six months after she succumbed to colon cancer, a Pulse Asia survey named Aquino as Filipinos’ “most loved leader,” earning an 18 percent preference from respondents.

Nearly a decade later, however, some of her living relatives took offense at an ongoing disinformation campaign to tarnish Aquino’s legacy.

Sen. Bam Aquino told The STAR in 2019 that trolls were working to undermine “Tita Cory,” though he was confident those efforts would end up in vain.

Aquino’s daughter Kris also lambasted fake news purveyors in 2018 for rewriting the country’s history on social media to destroy her mother. She quoted the article by Time Magazine proclaiming the former president as “Woman of the Year” in 1986.

“Whatever else happens in her rule, Aquino has already given her country a bright and inviolate memory,” the article read. “More importantly, she has also resuscitated its sense of identity and pride.”

FVR’s 3rd death anniversary

Meanwhile, family and friends of the late president Fidel Ramos commemorated his third death anniversary on Thursday at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Taguig.

Former first lady Amelita Ramos led a group of retired generals and former Cabinet secretaries to celebrate the life of the nation’s 12th president.

Serving as defense secretary during Aquino’s tenure, Ramos won the contentious 1992 elections to succeed her.

Ramos led the Philippines in the ’90s toward an economic boom, with observers dubbing the country the “tiger cub economy in Asia.” He pushed through with his five-point “Philippines 2000” agenda – similar to former US president Bill Clinton’s “Bridge to the 21st Century” roadmap.

The 12th chief executive had been in and out of the hospital due to a heart condition and dementia, according to one of Ramos’ longtime aides, and died on July 31, 2022.